Hello, My name is Malcolm and I'm trying to trace the history of my great-grandparents, who were both theatre people. Ernest Reginald ALLEN described himself as 'Comedian' when married in Birmingham in 1899. In 1901 he was in Yorkshire, by now an 'Actor'. In 1903 he signed an agreement with Messrs Preston and Dordon, theatre managers, earning £3.10s per week. In 1912 he was in Whitehaven, and in 1915 he was in Leeds shortly before embarking for France to serve in the First World War. It is believed that he performed in army entertainment in France. After the war Ernest returned to a full-time acting profession, and in July 1922 he was at the Theatre Royal, South Shields. As a member of Julian Bainbridge's Company, Ernest was playing the part of Philip Christian in Sir Hall Caine's play "The Manxman". In August 1922, also at the Theatre Royal, Ernest was appearing as Lord Robert Ure in "The Christian" He then moved to the Isle of Man. In February 1925 he was appearing in "A Royal Divorce" at the Grand Theatre, Douglas, Isle of Man, and in January of 1928 in "Maria Martin", also at the Grand Theatre. He signed an agreement with William Brookfield, director of the London Premier Repertory Company in 1930 at a salary of £5 per week. In 1932, Ernest formed a theatre company in the Isle of Man. Ernest's second wife, Maud RHODES, was an actress about 1910. I assume that she travelled the country with Ernest. Family legend says that she was 'one of the original Dolly Sisters'. Obviously she was not (they were Jenny and Rosika Dolly, in the USA), but maybe it was one of her acts. This is the sum of my knowledge. If anyone has any information that could expand on this I would be very pleased to hear from you. _________________________ malcolm@gulberwick.com Shetland Islands